Jar Jar Binks
Jar Jar Binks was a Gungan male who lived on the world of Naboo during the waning years of the Old Galactic Republic. He was known to be the first Gungan to represent his people in the Galactic Senate, first serving as a Junior Representative along with his best friend Senator Padmé Amidala. Like most Gungans, Binks was lanky and spoke Basic with a unique accent. Despite being naïve and clumsy, Jar Jar Binks was exiled from his home, but he was welcomed back by his people following his efforts during the Trade Federation invasion of Naboo. Binks aided Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi in their rescue of Naboo's queen, Padmé Amidala and, with Amidala and the Jedi, traveled off-world to Tatooine and Coruscant, before returning to liberate his planet from the Federation. Upon his return, Binks helped to forge an alliance between the Gungans and the Nabooians, ending years of mistrust. For his efforts, he was promoted to Bombad General and served in the Gungan Grand Army during the battle for Naboo. On his return to Naboo, he served as a Bombad General for a short while in the Gungan Grand Army, and was a joint commander of the Battle of the Great Grass Plains with General Ceel. Binks later helped his people colonize the nearby Naboo moon Ohma-D'un. In the years that followed, Binks became a Junior Representative for his people in the Galactic Senate, serving alongside Amidala when she became Senator of Naboo. The emerging political crisis between the Galactic Republic and the Separatist Alliance saw Amidala, an outspoken critic of a military build-up, become a target for assassination. Amidala went into hiding, leaving Binks to speak for Naboo in the Senate. The Gungan was manipulated by Supreme Chancellor Sheev Palpatine, who was secretly the Sith Lord Darth Sidious, into proposing that the Senate give the Chancellor emergency powers that would allow him to create an army to combat the Separatists. This act led to the creation of the army deployed by the Republic during the Clone Wars, a war engineered by Palpatine himself to amass total control over the Republic. During the war, Binks served in diplomatic roles, such as in the mission to recruit Toydaria as a supply staging base to aid the Twi'leks on Ryloth. He later helped rescue Queen Julia of Bardotta, with whom he had a romantic relationship. By the end of the Clone Wars, Binks was present in the Senate when Palpatine transformed the Republic into the Galactic Empire, thereby refashioning the Galactic Senate into an Imperial Senate. Shortly afterward, Binks attended Senator Amidala's funeral in Theed. While serving under the Empire, Jar Jar would go on to replace Senator Amidala as Senator of Naboo in the Imperial Senate. Biography Fall of the Republic Jar Jar Binks continued to represent the Gungans in Naboo's senatorial delegation throughout the Clone Wars, though his accomplishments in politics were never as significant as his vote on the Military Creation Act. He had also apparently learned to keep his mouth shut after the "Emergency Powers" debacle, learning from his substantial mistake that had led to one of the bloodiest wars in galactic history. After the death of his friend and colleague Padmé Amidala, he was one of the chief mourners at her funeral on Naboo along with Boss Rugor Nass, and succeeded her Senatorial position, representing the Chommell Sector in the Imperial Senate beginning in 19 BBY. Imperial Era After the formation of the New Order, Binks was considered an ally of the new Emperor, and an Imperial HoloVision report shortly after the end of the Clone Wars mentioned that he had personally sent Senator Binks to an undisclosed location. He was succeeded in his post as Representative of Naboo in 6 BBY by Pooja Naberrie, by appointment from Queen Kylantha. During the time of the Galactic Civil War, following the Battle of Yavin in 0 BBY, a Twi'lek by the name of Vaik'anna Silverlight remarked to a spacer in Theed that she had met Jar Jar, and found him to be a bit annoying. Binks was alive and well in 6.5 ABY, and was present on Coruscant during its liberation from the Galactic Empire by troops of the New Republic. While he was never involved in this liberation, he was situated relatively close to some of the action. Personality and Traits Binks was clumsier than most of his fellow Gungans, which was the reason why he was banished from Otoh Gunga. He would often explain his dislike, lashing out with his long tongue. Like all Gungans, he spoke with a peculiar Basic dialect, which sometimes made him hard to understand. Despite his clumsiness, Jar Jar Binks used to be a keen dancer, and he was known to perform notably Deesco and the Gungan Style. He often held a certain irreverence for his superiors—often making faces behind their backs, but he would still obey their orders. He was socially active, trying to communicate with sentients around him, and making new friends. He had some aptitude mechanically; he was able to perform maintenance on Anakin Skywalker's pod. As a diplomat, he helped unite the Gungans and the Naboo in 32 BBY. For that deed, he was promoted to general. He would lead the Gungan army against the battle droids, destroying many of them, even if sometimes by accident. In other adventures during the course of the Clone Wars, Binks displayed hidden talents of intellect and improvisation despite his clumsiness and nervousness, contributing greatly to Republic victories on either diplomatic or special combat missions. As a politician, Binks successfully represented the Gungans for several years, but when he had to take the role of senator, he was easily manipulated by Palpatine's cronies. However, his dedication to his friends made him a very reliable associate and ally, whether it be on a diplomatic or combat mission. Behind the Scenes Jar Jar Binks was a computer-generated character, voiced by Ahmed Best, who also provided the voice for the games Star Wars: Super Bombad Racing and Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds. Best reprised the role in a first season episode of Star Wars: The Clone Wars TV series, however it was later assigned to BJ Hughes. Best returned to voice the role in the third and fourth seasons with the episodes Supply Lines, Gungan Attack and Shadow Warrior, ''as well as the sixth season's Disappeared story arc. During the filming of the prequel trilogy, Best appeared on set in costume to provide a reference point for the other actors and appeared partially on-screen in a few shots, such as the close-up of Jar Jar's hand getting stuck in Skywalker's podracer. Best also voiced Binks in 2006 for ''Star Wars creator George Lucas's entry into Stephen Colbert's "green screen challenge" for his show The Colbert Report, and as a parody of the character in 2007 for the Robot Chicken: Star Wars special. The character's name came from Jett Lucas, son of George Lucas. Many fans pinned their disappointments with The Phantom Menace on Jar Jar and his comedic antics, which they felt both fell flat of their targets and even offended some viewers. Possibly as a result of fan hostility, Jar Jar's role in Attack of the Clones made him a pivotal part of the story, as the one who inadvertently helped Sheev Palpatine lay the foundations of the Galactic Empire, while minimizing his screen time. His role in Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith was further reduced to two scenes and only two words. Appearances *''Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds'' *''Darth Plagueis novel * *Episode I Adventures 9: Rescue in the Core'' *''Episode I Adventures 10: Festival of Warriors'' *''Episode I Adventures 11: Pirates from Beyond the Sea'' *''Episode I Adventures 12: The Bongo Rally'' *''Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace'' novelization *[[Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace|''Star Wars'': Episode I The Phantom Menace]] *''Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace'' comic *''Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace'' junior novel *''Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace'' script facsimile *''Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace'' PhotoComic *''Episode I: Anakin Skywalker'' *''Episode I: Queen Amidala'' *''Episode I: Qui-Gon Jinn'' *''Episode I: The Phantom Menace ½'' *''Episode I: Obi-Wan Kenobi'' *''Racer Rush'' *''Jar Jar's Mistake'' *''Anakin to the Rescue'' *''Star Wars Episode I: The Gungan Frontier'' * * * * * * * *[[Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones|''Star Wars'': Episode II Attack of the Clones]] / comic / novel / junior novel *''Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds: Clone Campaigns'' * * * *''The Clone Wars: Agenda'' *''The Clone Wars: Departure'' * * * * *''The Clone Wars: The Valley'' * * * * * * * * * * * *''For Fun and Profit'' *''Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith'' *''Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith'' Comic *''Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith'' Novel *''Evasive Action: Prey'' *''Star Tours: The Adventures Continue'' *''The Rise and Fall of Darth Vader'' *''Tatooine Ghost'' Sources *''Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace: The Official Souvenir Magazine'' *''Star Wars Episode I: Incredible Cross-Sections'' *''Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace: Prima's Official Strategy Guide'' *''Star Wars Episode I: The Visual Dictionary'' *''Star Wars Episode I: Insider's Guide'' *''Star Wars: Episode I Toy Line'' *''Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace Reference Book'' *''Star Wars Episode I: Jedi Power Battles: Prima's Official Strategy Guide'' *''Inside the Worlds of Star Wars: Episode I'' *''Galactic Phrase Book & Travel Guide'' *''Star Wars: Attack of the Clones The Visual Dictionary'' *''The New Essential Guide to Characters'' *''Star Wars: The Ultimate Visual Guide'' *''Star Wars: Complete Locations'' *''The New Essential Chronology'' *''Star Wars Chronicles: The Prequels'' *''Star Wars: The Complete Visual Dictionary'' *''Star Wars: Complete Cross-Sections'' * * *''Star Wars: The Clone Wars: The Visual Guide'' * *''The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia'' *''The Art of Star Wars: The Clone Wars'' *''The Essential Atlas'' *''Galaxy of Intrigue'' *''Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Heroes and Villains Flip Book'' *''Star Wars: Head-to-Head Tag Teams'' *''Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Incredible Vehicles'' * *''Star Wars: The Clone Wars: The Complete Season Three'' *''Star Wars: Battle for Naboo'' * *''Totally 20: The Phantom Menace'' *''Star Wars: Beware the Sith'' *''Star Wars: The Ultimate Visual Guide: Updated and Expanded'' *''Star Wars Art: Illustration'' *''The Essential Reader's Companion'' *''Star Wars: Obi-Wan Kenobi, Jedi Knight'' Category:Generals of the Gungan Grand Army Category:Gungans Category:Males Category:Members of the Rebel Alliance Category:Senators of the Galactic Empire Category:Senators of the Old Galactic Republic